Patents Assigned to Eurocopter
  • Publication number: 20080217469
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling an air conditioner in a rotorcraft that also includes a cooler for cooling transmission lubricant, in which the temperature of the lubricant is monitored and the capacity of the air conditioner is decreased in the event of the lubricant temperature reaching or exceeding a determined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Claude Houver, Stephane Auribaut
  • Patent number: 7418888
    Abstract: A transmission mechanism between at least one accessory and engine members for driving the rotor of a rotorcraft, the transmission therebetween being selectively either in isolation or in combination. An intermediate shaft is interposed between a main drive shaft for the rotor and a secondary drive shaft for the accessory, for driving the accessory from an engine member allocated to driving it. This intermediate shaft engages directly on the main shaft and meshes with an accessory drive gear via freewheels to enable the gear to be driven either by the engine member or from the main shaft in the position for combined drive together with the rotor, the rotor being driven by the other engine member or autorotation in the event of both engine members failing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Michel Vialle
  • Publication number: 20080203859
    Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator (9) comprising a rotary electric motor (12) a screw Old) driven n rotation by the motor, a mechanical member (15) driven in translation by the screw, a first position sensor (40) sensitive to a position of the electric motor and/or of the screw, a second position sensor (41) sensitive to a position of the mechanical member, and a servo-control circuit (11) connected to both of the position sensors and to the motor, this circuit delivering a power supply signal to the motor that varies as a function of a position setpoint signal (23) and as a function of signals delivered by the two position sensors; the second position sensor presents a resolution that is at least equivalent to the resolution of the first position sensor, and the servo-control circuit includes redundant modules (19, 22) for calculating the position of the mechanical member as a function of the signals/data delivered by the two sensors, together with at least two modules (17, 18) for mutual surveillance of
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Alain KIRCHHOFER, Olivier HONNORAT
  • Publication number: 20080206064
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotorcraft blade (P) provided in succession with a radial segment (1) and then a swept segment (2), said swept segment (2) being provided with at least one forwardly-swept segment (2?) and/or rearwardly-swept segment (2?). In addition, the blade has a single spar coming from the blade root. The invention is remarkable in that the single spar comprises a radial spar (10) in the radial segment (1), after which the single spar splits where the radial segment (1) becomes the swept segment (2) to form thereafter in the swept segment (2) a primary spar (11) and a secondary spar (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Bernard Rochegude, Jean-Francois Hirsch
  • Publication number: 20080201026
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to a device for controlling and adjusting the ground clearance (h) of an aircraft (1) provided with at least one undercarriage (30), said undercarriage (30) being provided with a damper-actuator (2) for performing a damping function and a function of retracting said undercarriage (30). The method is remarkable in that control means (10) automatically activate adjustment means (11, 12) for adjusting the length of said damper-actuator (2) so as to maintain said ground clearance (h) at a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Luc Mouton
  • Patent number: 7413140
    Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft (1) such as a helicopter comprises a force-transmission structure (5) for transmitting forces, in particular those coming from an undercarriage (2), and that, in longitudinal elevation view, presents an L-shape in which the arrangement (6, 19-21) forms a transversely centered box (6), such that the structure (5) transfers the forces, at least in part, to top and bottom working covering segments of the fuselage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Claude Bietenhader
  • Patent number: 7407134
    Abstract: A steerable auxiliary nose undercarriage (2) for a rotary wing aircraft (1); the undercarriage (2) being retractable substantially rearwards. In the undercarriage (2), an oscillating system (13) presents a elevation stroke (58) about its hinged front end (52) that is greater than a shock absorbing stroke (59), and a shock-absorbing actuator (9) possesses retraction elements for going beyond a high abutment position of the oscillating system (13) so that the oscillating system (13) and the shock-absorbing actuator (9) provide both a shock-absorption function and an undercarriage retraction function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Claude Bietenhader
  • Publication number: 20080180310
    Abstract: A panoramic warning system for helicopters, for the purpose of detecting obstacles and the proximity of the ground by using a plurality of radar sensors connected to the fuselage structure of the helicopter and which operate on varying wavelengths, the signals of which, representing range information, which are provided with an individual identifier, are compared in a central identification-and-evaluation unit with predetermined warning thresholds and after the assignment to corresponding scan sectors are caused to be displayed on at least one cockpit display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Reich
  • Publication number: 20080173768
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power plant (18) comprising at least one turboshaft engine (8) behind a gearbox (7) for driving a rotor (3) of a rotary wing aircraft (1), the air inlet body (20) of the engine (8) having a first end (21) opening out into the ambient atmosphere in front of the engine, and a second end (22) connected to the engine at the rearmost portion thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Daniel Chaniot, Francois-Xavier Gaulmin, Lionel Iraudo
  • Patent number: 7397548
    Abstract: A method of detecting the presence of a suspended filamentary object in view of a telemeter on an aircraft includes: i) calculating terrestrial coordinates of points corresponding to telemeter echoes, and selecting candidates; ii) searching a horizontal plane for straight line segments close to vertical projections of candidate points; and iii) searching each vertical plane containing one of the straight line segments for portions of catenaries close to candidate points. In step iii), for each considered vertical plane and each triplet of candidate points close to the considered vertical plane, calculating values of three parameters of a catenary containing the projections on the vertical plane of the three points of the considered triplet, and determining presence of at least one suspended filamentary object as a function of the distribution of values of catenary parameters calculated for all of the triplets of candidate points close to the vertical plane under consideration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: François-Xavier Filias, Jean Sequeira
  • Publication number: 20080161983
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of piloting a rotorcraft having a plurality of engines for driving at least one lift and propulsion rotor, in which method, so long as the rotorcraft has not reached an optimum climb speed (OCS), a pitch attitude control signal (Upitch) is determined that is adapted so that the rotorcraft accelerates in application of a profile (P1, P2, P3) that varies as a function of the elapsed time and as a function of the operating state of the engines (OEI/AEO).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Marc Salesse-Lavergne
  • Publication number: 20080159862
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improvement to rotorcraft rotors (1) fitted with inter-blade drag dampers (15) such that for each blade (4), the two joints (16) connecting said blade (4) to two inter-blade drag dampers (15) are disposed on either side of the pitch variation axis (101) of said blade, at least one of the two joints (16) being offset to above the plane P containing the pitch variation axis (101) and the vertical flapping axis (102).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Frederic BEROUL
  • Publication number: 20080156940
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for interconnecting first and second control sticks (1, 2) for controlling an aircraft in roll and in pitch, the device comprising a pitch interlinking shaft (20) and roll interlinking means (10) respectively for interlinking the first and second control sticks (1, 2) during pitch movements and/or during roll movements. The device is remarkable in that the roll interlinking means (10) are arranged inside the pitch interlinking shaft (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Bernard Gemmati
  • Publication number: 20080154532
    Abstract: A method and a device (1) for monitoring and controlling a test bench (2) provided with control elements (3) for controlling the bench (2) and with an interface (4) including display elements (41) and also communication elements (42), the control elements (3) being suitable for controlling the test bench (2) The device (1) is also provided with a set (6) of members for determining the configuration of the test and with at least one acquisition input (3?) for acquiring at least one test result measured by at least one acquisition element of the test bench (2)
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Daniel Huillet
  • Patent number: 7391220
    Abstract: A method and device for detecting defects of an electromagnetic protection for an electric harness (H). The device (D) includes elements (M1) for generating stimulating electric signals, elements (M2) for bringing the signals up to a predetermined power level, elements (M3) for applying the signals to the harness (H) and generating an electromagnetic field, elements (M4) for converting the electromagnetic field into thermal field and elements (M5) for detecting a rise in of temperature at a point of the electromagnetic protection defect (DF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignees: Eurocopter, Universite Paul Cezanne Aix-Marseille III
    Inventors: Serge Vallet, Michel Tholomier, Jean-Pierre Derain, Jean Duveau
  • Publication number: 20080145621
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an absorbent covering (1) having high damping power, secured on a structure (2) and comprising a dissipater mesh made up of a plurality of dissipating elements (3) and of nodes (4) each having its bottom end (4?) secured on said structure (2). In remarkable manner, said bottom ends (4?) of said nodes (4) project from said dissipating elements (3) so as to leave an empty space (5) between the dissipating elements (3) and said structure (2), said absorbent covering (1) including main absorbent elements (6) arranged in said empty space (5), each of said main absorbent elements (6) being secured firstly to a bottom face (3?) of a said dissipating element (3) and secondly to said structure (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventor: Thomas Manfredotti
  • Patent number: 7384238
    Abstract: A rotor, in particular for a rotorcraft, encompassing: a rotor head, at least one rotor blade, and a rotor-head-end rotor-blade connector having an integral, bearingless, centrifugal-force-controlled blade angle adjustment device. A rotorcraft, in particular a helicopter, in particular a tiltrotor helicopter, encompassing at least one such rotor. A method for adjusting the blade angle of a rotor blade of a rotor, in particular of a bearingless rotor that possesses a rotor head and a rotor-head-end rotor-blade connector, encompassing the following steps: rotating the rotor blade; and automatically adjusting the blade angle by twisting the rotor-head-end rotor-blade connector, and thus the rotor blade, about its longitudinal axis by means of centrifugal forces acting on the rotor blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Gerold Becker, Rupert Pfaller
  • Publication number: 20080125931
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and to an instrument for determining the limiting margin of a surveillance parameter of a turboshaft engine. During a preliminary stage, a secondary processor means (11) determines a preliminary comfort margin. Thereafter, during a main stage, it estimates a useful comfort margin from the preliminary comfort margin, and then an apparent difference between the current value and the limit value of the surveillance parameter, and finally the limiting margin by subtracting the useful comfort margin from the apparent difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Francois-Xavier Gaulmin, Lionel Iraudo
  • Publication number: 20080116316
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mechanical transmission system for a rotorcraft, the system including a supercritical transmission shaft (10) and an active magnetic damper (17 to 20) secured to the structure (34) of the aircraft via a mechanical damper (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: EUROCOPTER
    Inventors: Thomas Manfredotti, Damien Sequera
  • Patent number: 7374445
    Abstract: A bundle includes wire segments forming a branch fitted with an angled coupling including: a base having the ends of the wire segments fastened thereto; an angled rigid casing surrounding the wire segments and having a first end providing for bearing against the base; and a member for fastening the casing to the base with a mutual variable orientation; the branch is protected by a shielding sheath secured to a second end of the casing; the bundle includes an abutment member secured to the portion of the wire segments extending inside the angled casing and co-operating with the angled casing to prevent the portion of the wire segments from leaving the casing; the portion of the wire segments is twisted in such a manner that the mutual orientation between the base and the casing can be modified without introducing harmful mechanical stresses in these wire segment portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: Pascal Gouzien, Stephane Giraud